1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a combined sink strainer and sink-pot-and dish-cleaning scrub brush unit seatable in a garbage disposal inlet. More particularly, the invention is directed to a perforated sink strainer which seats into a disposal inlet which may or may not include a sink stopper but which includes a depending tufted scrub brush.
2. Material Prior Art
A standard part of particular a kitchen sink is a circular sink strainer often having a relatively-flat cup-like configuration including oval or circular perforations on the peripheral side wall of the strainer. Spaced rows of circular perforations extend in a circular direction along the strainer horizontal bottom in an annulus between the peripheral upstanding wall and a central generally imperforate portion. The central portion may contain a fixed upstanding handle for removing the strainer from the disposal circular inlet. The handle may also be attached to a handle-operated drain plug extending under the exterior under surface of the strainer bottom. In drain-open mode of operation any foreign foodstuff or other matter of a size which might plug the sink drain piping including a drain trap is caught by the perforations and can be disposed of by the householder either in a garbage receptacle or flushed into the sink waste disposal. Any water in the sink or small particles can be easily flushed through the respective strainer perforations. The usual householder normally has a separate sponge, abrasive or filimented square or pot-scrubbing brush which is kept on, under or adjacent to the sink, for example, on the sink or countertop or in a separate dish. Thus, in cleaning up or scraping dirty dishes, pots or the sink itself, a separate tool is necessarily employed which tool may be easily mislaid or become particularly entangled with the fibrous or other material being removed from the dish, pot or the sink itself. A separate cleaning of the sponge, square or pot brush is normally necessary. When it is desired to stop water flow from the sink into the disposal in order to fill the sink with later for a washing or soaking operation in many cases a separate rubber or plastic/rubber or metals/rubber stopper or plug must be used, thus necessitating a third separate tool. Thus, it is apparent that a need has existed for many years in having one instrument for both sink straining and sink-pot-and dish-cleaning as well as having the capability of providing a sink stopper.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,935,128 shows a strainer trap in which an inverted convex perforated disk covers a sink outlet and connects to a long spiral wire mounting radial bristles depending down into the sink drain. The spiral wire, bristles-containing, brush is similar to a baby bottle cleaning brush but functions to trap, collect and gather "all hairs and grease contained in the debris or refuse that may be emptied in the waste pipe." Upon removal of the vertically depending brush, the diametric bristles contact and clean the drain walls. U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,432 and 4,671,976 show filamentary elements either attached to or positioned as a ring or barrier around a stopper or strainer drain, which again are designed to catch debris such as hair from being flushed into the drain trap and causing plugging thereof.